


A Day on Coney Island

by Chocolate_Viola (orphan_account)



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Loss, Post-Avengers, pre-Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-17 12:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1387090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Chocolate_Viola
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remember that time Bucky made Steve go on the Cyclone on Coney Island? Steve remembers it all too vividly...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day on Coney Island

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scalphunter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scalphunter/gifts).



> This is my first time posting a fan fiction. I've had this one sitting around, shelved for a while. I don't personally think its that great, just because I'm not quite as familiar with writing fan fiction. This is just kind of how I imagine what would have happened on that one day Steve and Bucky went to Coney Island though. Just as a heads up, there might be a few grammar errors that I might have missed. I hope you guys enjoy it. :)

__

_“Remember that time I made you ride the Cyclone on Coney Island?”_

_“Yeah, and I threw up.”_

_“This isn’t payback is it?”_

_“Now why would I do that?”_

That had been one of the last conversations that Steve had with Bucky. Just before he… Steve frowned. He didn’t really like to think about Bucky much. It was too painful. And no drinks of alcohol could help him drown out the memories of his best friend. The two had grown up together. They were practically like brothers. They’d even fought side by side, fighting against HYDRA.

Now all that Steve had left of Bucky was this picture from a SHIELD file. He was listed as missing in action. Steve didn’t understand why they didn’t just list him as killed in action. Steve had seen him drop from hundreds of feet into the snowy abyss. There was no way he could have survived anything like that.

Steve shook his head and leaned back in his chair. He’d been pouring over these SHIELD files all night. He couldn’t will himself to tear his eyes away from the pictures of the people he once knew, who were now all dead. At least most of them had lived long lives, he thought to himself. Peggy was one of the few that was still alive. He wish Bucky had at least been among those who had lived on into his old age. Even if he never saw him again, it would have given him some comfort to know that Bucky would have at least lived a long life. A life that would have meant a marriage, a family, a career-- a future. He wanted that for Bucky. Bucky deserved it. 

Steve reached out and picked up a ballpoint pen, and with a small piece of paper, he began to sketch an image of the Cyclone on Coney Island. That day was a day Steve would never forget. A day he never wanted to forget.

It had been a warm day in the summer, in the late 1930s. Several years before Steve had been given the super soldier serum. He was still unusually scrawny, and was still much smaller than his best friend, Bucky Barnes.

Bucky and Steve had managed to secure a small bench for themselves on the boardwalk, the two of them snacking on some of Coney Island's best foods. Steve was licking the top of his frozen custard, while Bucky was just starting on shoving a hot dog into his mouth. Steve glanced over at Bucky and burst into laughter. Bucky’s cheeks had suddenly become as round a chipmunks. He tried his best not to accidentally choke on the food, chewing with his mouth open.

“You know Bucky, I’m glad you took me today! This has been the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

Bucky swallowed the last bit of his hot dog, and clapped Steve on the shoulders. Steve swayed, his small body easily jerked around due to his size. “See. I told you that you’d enjoy coming. You didn’t believe me.”

Steve nodded, taking small bites at his frozen custard. All around them, there were children's screams of delight, couples arm in arm enjoying each others company, and tears of laughter. Coney Island in all its glory.

In the distance, they could see the Cyclone. The roller coaster was the one thing that Bucky could not shut up about.  Bucky had finally gotten Steve to take a break and come to Coney Island with him. Steve now had to admit that he was glad he’d come. He and Bucky had gone on most of the rides now, except for the Cyclone. While Bucky was excited by it, Steven wasn’t quite so sure about it.

Bucky nudged Steve, who glanced up. “Well. You ready to go on the Cyclone?”

Steve shook his head. “About that. I never agreed to go with you.”

“Sure you did!”

Steve shook his head once more.

Bucky stood up, and stretched. “Well. My legs are getting a bit stiff. How about we go and walk over to the Cyclone?”

Steve glanced down at his drawing of the roller coaster. “You're not going to give this up, are you?"

There was a twinkle in Buckys eyes.

Steve tried one last time. "I think I’ll just watch. You go and have fun.”

“Come on Steve. You have to come with me. You aren’t scared, are you?”

Steve stiffened up. Scared? He stared at directly at Bucky, seeing the excitement in Buckys bright blue eyes. That did it. Bucky had won. Steve wouldn’t admit to being scared. Because he wasn’t. He just wasn’t comfortable with it. And he wasn’t going to let Bucky let him think he was scared of a silly roller coaster. He knew Bucky would tease him mercilessly if he didn’t go with him.

Steve set down his frozen custard on the bench, unfinished. “I’m not scared. Come on. Lets go.”

The two walked side by side, in synchronized steps. As the two neared the Cyclone, Bucky suddenly stopped in his tracks. Steve bumped into Buckys back, nearly knocking the both of them over. “Why’d you stop?” Steve asked.

Steve noticed that something in the distance had caught Buckys eye. Bucky suddenly tried to turn around, but nearly ran into Steve. “Hey, what’s up Bucky? You look like you saw a ghost.”

“A ghost? Naw. More like an ugly ghoul. How ‘bout we try some of those rides over there first. I don’t think we’ve gone on those yet.”

Steve just laughed. “Those were some of the first rides we went on Bucky. Come on. Who was it that you saw?”

Bucky glanced over his shoulder. Steve craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of what Bucky saw. He saw several groups of young men and women about their age, but there was no one there he recognized.

“Its nothing,” Bucky mumbled.

Steve didn’t believe him for a second. “Come on. What is it?”

Bucky sighed. Steve wasn’t going to let this go now. “Just some idiot over there. Remember that dance I went to last week?”

“Yeah. And you met that pretty blond girl you told me about right?”

“That pretty blond girl wasn’t so pretty after I found out that she had a boyfriend. Who just happened to be running late. And who also happened to see me dancing with her.”

“You never told me about that. You said it all went well.”

“Well it did except for when he tried to punch me. Good thing I have fast reflexes,” Bucky said, scratching the back of his neck.

Steve looked back over at the crowd again. “He’s the big tall guy with the petite blond," Bucky muttered.

Steve immediately saw who he was talking about. “How about we go say hi then?"

“Are you crazy Steve? That guy's nuts.”

“You’re the one who wanted to take my on the Cyclone. I wouldn’t want to miss that opportunity just because some big idiot decided to ruin your dance night.”

Steve began walk over to the Cyclone in his lanky strides. A grin began to appear on Buckys lips, as he stared at Steve. Sometimes Bucky couldn’t help but be fascinated by Steves determination and courage. For such a small guy, he had a huge heart.

Bucky jogged to catch up with Steve.

The petite blond, Betty, began waving to them. “Hey look, its Bucky!”

Her boyfriend made a face, narrowing his eyes at the two of them. Bucky waved back at Betty, and Steve followed the greeting with a wave himself.

“Who's your friend here Bucky?”

“This would be Steve Rogers, my best friend.” Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve’s shoulders. Bucky couldn’t help but notice that Betty was the same height as Steve. It was a shame she was dating someone else. He would have made sure that the two of them got together for sure.

“Hi Steve!” She squeaked. Her voice was high pitched, sounding like a little girl on helium.

Betty took her boyfriends hand, and reached up to touch his chest with her other arm. “This here is Paul. I know you’ve… Already met, Bucky.” It was as if Betty had just remembered what had gone on last week. There was an undeniable feeling of tension in the air. 

Paul glared at Bucky. The two of them exchanged a stare down, both fully aware of the events of last week. “I remember that,” Bucky said, narrowing his eyes.

Betty glanced off to the side at Steve. “Yeaah. My big Paul here is a bit sensitive.”

Steve snickered. Pauls attention was quickly diverted to Steve. “What are you laughing at shrimp?”

“Me? Oh, its nothing. Its just hard to imagine a big tough guy like you… Being sensitive.”

“You’re going to regret that you little--”

Bucky made a movement to intervene as Paul stepped closer. But it was Steves words that truly made Paul stop.

“Would you really try to hit the nephew of John Cudahy, and his best friend?”

Bucky eyebrows raised, but he quickly caught on to what was happening. He began nodding along in a agreement to Steve.

“John… Cudahy?” Paul asked.

"John Cudahy?" Betty gasped, her eyes widening. 

“Yeah. You know, the current ambassador to Ireland. I’m sure President Roosevelt would be pretty upset to hear Mr Cudahys nephew got beaten up by some bully like you...”

Betty awkwardly stared down at her pointed heels. She reached out to Paul and tugged gently on his shirt. “Come on Paul. How about we go get something to eat huh? It was nice seeing you Bucky!”

Paul hurried to follow Betty, not even daring to look back at Steve and Bucky. As soon as they were gone, Bucky burst out laughing. “What on earth was that? Did you see his face? It was like he got caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar!”

Steve smiled proudly. “Now how about we go on the Cyclone?”

The minute Steve hopped into the seat next to Bucky, he knew he’d immediately made a mistake. Bucky raised his hands in the air, screaming with excitement and adrenaline. While Steve just hung onto dear life, paying he wouldn’t throw up all over Bucky.

The ride ended. Steve wobbled out of the seat. He followed Bucky, who was giggling like a young boy. Their hair stuck up in odd directions, windswept from the ride.

“Man, what a ride! I knew you’d love it… Steve?”

Steve had stopped. His stomach churned uncomfortably. He suddenly doubled over and began heaving out his lunch from earlier, right out onto the ground. Bucky tried hard not to laugh. He patted Steve on the back, and asked, “Guessing your stomach didn’t agree with the ride?”

“I guess not…” Steve mumbled, wiping his lips.

“Come on, we’ll get you cleaned up…”

  
Steve put down the ballpoint pen. He covered his mouth his hands, just as tears sprung to his eyes. Never again, would the two of them share a moment like that again...  

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, for those who don't know, John Cudahy was a real American ambassador during the 30's and 40's. You can read more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cudahy In addition to being the Ambassador to Ireland, he was also the ambassador for Poland, Belgium, and Luxembourg


End file.
